Double pole snap switch



March 22, 1932. R, H. BENTLEY 1,850,785

DOUBLE POLE SNAP SWITCH Filed Feb. 14, 1951 INVENTOR n. ICLROBERT H.BENTLEY fyhzrdrnqys Patented Mar. 22, `1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEROBERT H. BENTLEY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE ARROW-HART& -HEGEMAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT nounnn roLn sNAr SWITCH Application iled February 14, 1931.Serial No. 515,853.

This invention relatesto snap switches, more particularly it relates todouble pole snap switchesinwhich the movable switch member is actuatedby the movement of a slidable thumb member to which a spring isattcahed, which in turn will actuate a movable switch yoke when thethumb member is moved past a dead center position. It is an object of myinvention to provide a compact switch mechanism having provision forbreaking a circuit at two points one in each line of the circuit to anyelectric device which may be controlled by the switch. 'Another objectis to make a snap switch with a slidable actuator which is adapted bythe agency of a tensioned spring to move a yoke member which in turnwill break a circuit with a .snap movement, simultaneously at two pointsin the circuit,

the yoke and actuator being held together by the tensioned spring. Otherobjects and the advantages of my invention will appear as it isdescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of one side of my snap switch.

Figure 2 is an elevation view of theother side of my snap switch.

Figure 3 is an elevation View of one end of my snap switch. i

Figure 4 is an elevation section view of my invention taken-on line4.-'4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is an elevation section view of my invention taken on line 5 5of Fig. 6.

Figure 6 is a plan view of my invention.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7 7 of rig. 1.

anism is located between two equal-sized rectangular insulating plates10-12 having rounded corners. These plates are spaced apart by four iatparallel posts 14, 16, 18, 2O

'located at the corners of the insulating plates 10-12. The insulatingplates are secured to the posts by tongues on the ends of the postswhich extend through the plates and have their ends peened over thusforming a permanent connection between the posts and the plates. Theposts 16, 18, which are at y diagonally opposite corners of the switchare identical and have extensions 16', 18 at their lower portions whichextensions are turned inwardly of the switch and at right angles to theposts and have portions 16t, 187, turned at right angles to them so asto lie upon the upper surface of the lower insulating plate 12. Theseportions 16t, 187? have screw threaded apertures formed therein toaccommodate binding screws 16s, 18s, for securing the ends of the leadwires. Thus these portions 16t, 18 with their screws constitute wiretermina s. i

Secured to two of the posts 16, 18, at one end of the switch areresilient sheet metal spring contacts 14e, 160, which are adapted to beengaged respectively by dierent legs of the hereinafter described yokemember 10.l

vSecured to the lower face of the upper plate are identical members 30,32 which serve as bearings for the movable switch yoke 40 and also aswire terminals. Member 30 is shown in detail in Figure 11. These bearingmembers 30, 32 are formed from sheet metal and have bearing portions30', 32', which lieeparallel to each other between the posts 14, 16, 18,20. Inverted V notches 30e, 32a, are cut in the bearing portions toaccommodate the legs of the yoke member as will hereinafter bedescribed.

Referring for example to the bearing member 30 each bearing member hastwo lugs, a terminal lug 30# and a holding lug 30h, turned at rightangles to the bearing portion 30 in opposite directions, but lying inthe same plane. The terminal lug 307? which is turned inwardly of theswitch at one end of the bearing member has a screw threaded apertureformed therein to receive a binding screw the plate by rivets.

30s for securing the end of a lead wire. The upper plate is aperturedadjacent these terminal lu s 301i, B2i to accommodate the heads of theblnding screws. Thus these lugs together with their screws forni' wireterminals. The holding lug of each bearing member is turned outwardly ofthe switch above the V notch and is held to the upper plate by tworivets.

The yoke member40 is formed of two metallic legs 40L which are bridgedby an insulating plate 40p, the legs bein secured to As herein eforeindicated the yokemember 40 has its legs 40L bearing in the apex of theV notches, it being understood that the bearing members 30, 32 are solocated that the edges of the V notches are in the same plane. Anaperture is provided in the center of: the insulating bridge plate 40pinto which aperture one end of a tension spring 50 is hooked. The otherend' of this spring is connected to lthe operating member 60 of theswitch. This operating member 60 comprises a hook 60h which passesthrough a longitudinal slot 10s in the upper insulating plate 10, andthrough a slidable plate 65 of insulating material which lies upon thetop of the upper plate 10, and through a collar 600. The upper end ofthe hook 60k, after passing through the collar 60o, is peened over topermanently hold the hook, collar, and slide plate together in the slotof the upper plate l0. Thus this operating member is permitted to slidein the slot 10s of the upper plate, and as it slides from one, end tothe other of the slot it carries the upper end of the tension spring 50past a dead center position which causes the yoke member 40 to snap fromone side of the,V notch to rthe other.

In order to insulate the bearing portions of the bearing members fromeach other and from the tension spring and operating member, insulatingplates 62 are placed on each side of the tension spring so as tolie`flush against the inner faces of the bearing 1nem bers. Thus thetension spring and operating member are permitted to move between theseplates without danger of engaging either of the bearing members. Thelower portions of .y

these plates are cut away to ment of the yoke member.

In operation, the feed wires, (not shown) from a source of power, may beconnected to the wire terminals t and 32t and the wires to an electricaldevice, may be connected to the wire terminals 16t and 18t or viceversa. Thus the current will run through the bearing member 30 to theleg 40L of the yoke permit free moveand then through the resilientcontact 140V to the post 14. In order to conduct the current from thepost 14 which has no wire terminal to the post 18 which hasa wireterminal, a bus bar 63 is used to to connect those posts., Thus thecurrent goes from post 14 through the bus bar 63 to post 18 to the wireterminal 1825. From there the current goes through the translatingdevice (not shown). Upon return the current is conducted through theswitch from the wire terminal 16t through post 16 to resilient contact160. From this contact it goes through the leg L of the yoke to thebearing member 32 to its wire terminal 32t. A feed wire completes thecir- 'cuit to the source.

Alternatively, the feed wires may be connected with the wire terminals16t and 30t and the lead wires of the translating device may beconnected to the terminals 18t and 32t or vice versa.

As the operating member 60 is moved from left to right (see Figure 5)the end of the tensioned spring 1s movedv ast its dead center positionin the plane of t e yoke member and causes the yoke to snap from theleft bearing surface of the V-notch to the right, thus disengaging legs40L from contacts 14o and 160 and breaking the circuit at those twopoints.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the tension spring 50 is allthat holds the operating member andA yoke 40 together, the tension ofthe spring holding the slide plate against the surface of the upper late10 and at the same time holding-the cmg of the legflOL in the apex ofthe V notches.

any changes within the scope of my in- ,thereon and adapted to beconnected in an electric circuit, a yoke member having mutuallyinsulated legs bearing "in said bearing members, a pluralit of mutuallyinsulated contacts adaptedto be engaged by said legs, a switch actuator,and a tensioned sprin holding said yoke and said actuator on saiinsulatmg member.

2. A double pole snap switch comprising a plurality of mutuallyinsulated contacts, a yoke member having a plurality of mutuallyinsulated conducting le adapted to engage said contacts, a plura ity ofmutually insulated bearing members for said yo e, a slidable actuator,and a tensioned spring engaging with said yoke and actuator.

3. A double pole snap switch comprising a plurality of mutuallyinsulated contacts, a yoke member having an insulating portion andlurality of mutually insulated conducting egs adapted to engage saidcontacts, a

'plurality of mutually insulated conductive plurality of mutuallyinsulated contacts, a yoke member having a plurality of mutually vinsulated conducting legs adapted to engage plurality of mutuallyinsulated conductive' legs bearing in said bearing members and adaptedto engage with said fixed contacts, and actuating mechanism to move saidyoke with a snap motion.

6. A double pole snap switch comprising a plurality of mutuallyinsulated metallic posts, certain of said posts having wire terminals, aplurality of fixed contacts secured on certain of said posts, a yokemember having a plurality of mutually insulated conducting legs adaptedto engage said'contacts, a plurality of mutually insulated conductingbearing members for the legs of said yoke member, said bearing membersbeing provided with wire terminals, and actuating mechanism for movingsaid yoke member with a snap. v

7. A double pole snap switch comprising an insulating member, aplurality of mutually insulated metallic posts mounted thereon, aplurality of xed contacts secured to certain of said'posts, a pluralityof metallic mutually insulated lnotched bearing members mounted on saidinsulating member, a yoke member having a plurality of mutuallyinsulated conductive legs loosely held in said bearing member andadapted to engage yvith said fixed contacts, and actuating mechanism tomove said yoke with a snap motion.

8. A double pole snap switch comprising a plurality of Ymutuallyinsulated metallic posts, certain of said posts having wire terminals, aplurality of fixed contacts secured on certain of said posts, a yokemember having a plurality of mutually insulated conducting legs adaptedto engage said contacts, a plurality of mutually insulated conductingbearing members for the legs of said yoke member, said bearing membersbeing pro vided with wire terminals, an operating member movable in astraight line, and a tensioned spring connecting said yoke and operatingmember to move said yoke with a snap and holding said operator and yokein assembled relation.

9. A double pole snap switch comprising a i pair .of insulating plates,a plurality of posts holding said plates in spaced parallel relation, aplurality of stationary contacts secured to certain of said posts, aplurality of metallic bearing members, a yoke member having conductinglegs secured together by an insulating bridge and adapted to engage'with said lixed contacts, a shiftable actuator,

and a spring connecting said actuator and yoke, whereby said yoke iscaused to move with a snap and said yoke and actuator'are held inassembled relation.

10. A double pole snap switch compris-rA ing a pair of insulatingplates, a plurality of posts holding said plates in spaced parallelrelation, a plurallty of stationary contacts secured to certain of saidposts, certain of said posts being provided with wire terminals, andbeing identically formed, a plurality of identical metallic bearingmembers provided with wire terminals, a yoke member having conductinglegs secured together by an insulating bridge and adapted tomengage withsaid ixed contacts, a shiftable actuator, and a spring connecting saidactuator and yoke, whereby said yoke and actuator` are held in assembledrelation. i

11. A double pole snap switch comprising a pair of insulating plates, aplurality of posts holding said plates in spaced parallel relation,certain of said posts having wire terminal portions, a plurality ofmutually insulated bearing members having wire terminal portions, all ofsaid terminal portions lying adjacent said plates, said plates beingapertured adjacent all said terminal portions to receive binding screwsfor securing lead wires to said terminal portions, stationary contactssecured to certain of said posts, and a movable switch yoke adapted toengage and disengagc said contacts.

12. A double pole snap switch comprising a pair of insulating plates, aplurality of posts holding said plates in spaced parallell relation, aplurality of stationary contacts secured to certain of said posts,certain of said posts being provided with wire terminals, a plurality ofmetallic bearing members provided with wire terminals, a yoke memberhaving conducting legs secured together by an insulating bridge andadapted to engage with said fixed contacts, an actuator slidable uponthe outer surface of one of said insulating` plates, and a tensionedspring connecting said yoke and actuator, whereby said yoke` is causedto `move with a snap and said yoke legs are heldl against said bearingmembers and said actuator is held against saidV outer surface of saidinsulating plate.

13. A double pole snap switch comprising an insulating member, aplurality of mutually insulated metallic bearing members securedthereon, a yoke member having mutually insulated metallic legs bearingon said bearing` members, xed contacts adapted to be engaged by saidlegs, an actuator, a tensioned spring engaging with said actuator

